Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Barry Wayne Hansen

Honorary Colonel Hansen enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1976. Upon completion of Air Traffic Control Assistant training, he served at Canadian Forces base (CFB) Edmonton, CFB Comox, and the Victoria Rescue Coordination Center at CFB Esquimalt. In 1981, he was selected for Air Weapons Controller training, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and assigned to the 22nd NORAD Region, CFB North Bay.

Honorary Colonel Hansen’s Air Force career as an Air Weapons Controller involved numerous moves between Canada and the US. His duty tours included stops in CFB North Bay, Eldorado Air Force Station Texas, McChord Air Force Base Washington, Air Command Headquarter Winnipeg and Tinker Air Force Base Oklahoma. Honorary Colonel Hansen has over 2,000 E-3 AWACS hours, and has deployed in support of the United Nations No-Fly Zone over Iraq and throughout Europe and North America in support of NATO and NORAD operations. In July 1998, he assumed command of 42 Radar Squadron, 4 Wing Cold Lake Alberta.

Honorary Colonel Hansen retired from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in July 2007 to serve as Chief Executive Officer Commissionaires South Alberta, a not-for-profit business providing meaningful employment opportunities for Candian Forces (CF) Veterans until February 2012. In January 2015 he re-entered the work force as Associate Vice President Operations Fort McMurray International Airport where he managed airfield operations and training.

In 2016, Honorary Colonel Barry and his wife Sharon returned to Comox to be closer to family and manage his consulting company.